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DESMOPHILES
REGIONAL CONTACTS Auckland Wayne Lyons
027-4728-343
Waikato
The Newsletter of DOCNZ Ducati Owners Club of NEW ZEALAND March - May 2014 Issue 65 COMMITTEE
Manawatu Trevor Smart
027 727 1883
Bay of Plenty Lindsay Beck (Bayride) 027 248 2367 Hawkes Bay Nigel Taylor & Claire Miller
021 273 9450
Wellington Todd (Motomart) Chris Marer
0800DUCATI 027 447 4299
Richmond Grant
03-528-0086
Greg Monahan
021 851 916
Motueka
Nelson
President
Greg Monahan
Heath (Hamilton M/C) 07-849-1919
021 851 916
Marlborough Graham McDonald
03-578-2490
Secretary Brent (Molly) Meldrum
027 522 5185
Treasurer Nigel Taylor
027 490 3408
Editor/Publisher Richard Sabiston
editor@docnz.co.nz
webmaster@docnz.co.nz
Communications Coordinator Greg Monahan
Dunedin/Deep South Gary Winter
03-476-7515 021 206 9866
the above members and also the Ducati Dealer Network are a very good way to find out more about the club.
All Magazine contributions and Membership Enquiries to:
Webmaster Nigel Haworth
Christchurch Craig (Casbolts M/C) 03-366-4401 Phil (Desmocycle) 03-318-8061 021 137 0309
docnz@docnz.co.nz
DOCNZ P.O.Box 6537 Marion Square Wellington 6141 NEW ZEALAND Email: secretary@docnz.co.nz
www.docnz.co.nz
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EDITOR’S SAY
Well another couple of months have rolled around and this issue has been rather vexing to say the least. For this issue we have an article from our illustrious Secretary with a few pictures of the other bloke’s bike. (Have you ever wondered why it is spelled Secret-ary? The term is derived from the Latin word secernere, "to distinguish" or "to set apart," with the eventual connotation of something private or confidential, as with the English word secret. SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW, AGENT MOLLY? On a very sad note, we unfortunately have the Massimo Tamburini obituary which was kindly provided to us by the Telegraph. We also have a selection of a few photographs from the National Ducati Rally, which have been carefully selected from over 300 photographs. Well enough side-tracking, have a great time riding, ride safe and remember a few articles would not go amiss. Cheers Richard
PRESIDENT’S PRATTLE
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Ciao everybody, Well it's been a month now since NDR 2014 and I have had time to rest, gather my thoughts and start the planning process for NDR 2015, again at the beautiful Wairakei Resort and Hotel at Wairakei just north of Taupo. So book your dates, take the week off work and plan on a fantastic rally next year in mid-March. Entry details and all that will be out soon I'm just confirming which weekend in March - probably be the middle weekend. So, back to this year! If you didn't go to NDR2014 Hanmer Springs, boy did you miss a great event. Unfortunately due to illness our very special guest Paul Smart could not make it to this event although he did make it to Auckland, however he spent time in hospital and was too unwell to make it to our rally. Our other special guest was Robert Taylor of Kiwi Suspension Specialists and he was going to do a suspension set up session for interested guys, showing riders how to set the suspension on the bike correctly. However, due to the poor weather, Robert was stranded at New Plymouth and unable to take off and get to our event on time.
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PRESIDENT’S PRATTLE
Hopefully both of our guests will be held to come along and see us next year in Taupo (fingers crossed – touch wood). Despite the threats of a tropical cyclone and the likelihood of riding in the rain we had a fantastic turnout of over 120 participants. Thanks very much to everyone that made it to the event, without you guys turning up the event would not be what it is. It's really great to see so many different people, new faces, old faces, new friends and old friends as well as a great variety of bikes to show the public and Hanmer Springs really enjoys us being in town. The comments from the locals are that you normally don’t expect to see such an eclectic group of bikes and it is fantastic to see. To my team of helpers I say a big thank to you Chris, Molly, Guy, Kerri, Stu, Craig and there is bound to be others that i missed, thanks very much for being there to help set up. Many hands really do make light work and they had it all set up ready for members to turn up! Also a big thank you to the sponsors, Casbolts, AB's, Motomart, Bayride, Cyclespot, Peroni, NFI and of course Ducati and the Desmo Owners Club. Next year we would really love the event to double in size, so please come, please book early as soon as the rego forms come out, because it is very scary when only 30 odd bookings have been submitted one month before the event, when we make it public six months early to help out the organisers. So for next year bring a friend , and let's double the numbers! Let's get 300 to Taupo and really make an impact. That's about all for me regarding the rally. No doubt Molly and Nigel will cover the AGM off in their reports. We have a few things to change and a few things to improve on, but we're working on them. So guys hang in there, keep supporting us and we'll keep supporting you! That's it from me. Ciao ciao
Regards Greg
SECRETARY REPORT “AGENT MOLLY�
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Well this issue will be full of tales of NDR and the fantastic time had by all, including Chris's and my mini adventure. I won't say much other than a great time had by all as usual. I can't wait for the next one. You'll see the minutes of the AGM are included in this issue, but to recap the important points of membership. We currently have 171 members including the lifers, families, complimentary and dealers so not looking too bad at this time of year, but 60 members from last year have not yet renewed. This is fairly usual but wouldn't it be nice to break the 200 mark with ease this year! I have sent an email to all those members unpaid so if you're not sure whether you're paid up or not, check your inbox or spam folder. If you receive hard copies of the magazine and there's a loose membership form, it means you're unpaid. After this magazine I will text those remaining unpaid and sadly the magazine will then stop for those :-( Those of you that have paid your memberships and wonder where your membership card is... new stocks of the cards have just arrived so these will be sent ASAP. If you don't ride your bike often, and therefore don't want to pay the hefty ACC grabbing licence fee, then take a look at form MR27 (Application to change licence expiry date). My MHR was 'on hold', I paid for 6 days to cover NDR and it cost me something like $17, it's now back on hold. Chris has found that some of the NZTA agencies don't know how to process this form but I found VTNZ to be on the ball. A great result so check it out. It was great to see a Ducati once again on the podium in MotoGP, long may it continue Ciao Brent (Molly)
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TREASURE’S REPORT
And so we continue. Allot has been happening since the last issue, there was NDR2014 in Hanmer which was an excellent excuse to take time out from work and head south for 10 days. The ride down to the ferry on Thursday afternoon was the usual mix of a few back roads like SH50 and the Paekak hill along with police infested SH2 and SH1. Caught up with allot of you on the 0900 ferry sailing then wended my way down the coast with Phil on his 996 SPS. Phil had recently sold a Fireblade to a chap who lived just out of Kaikoura. Said chap and his partner rode up the coast and joined us both at Blenheim before escorting us back down the coast and up to their place for a cup of tea. You always know you are in good company when your hosts have a Ducati 860GT and a Guzzie 850 GT parked up in the master bedroom. The journey continued through the Hunterlees then turning up towards Waiau. I always enjoy this piece of our wonderful landscape, especially when the leaves are turning and just starting to drop; it always raises a smile when you have a booming V2 in front of you kicking up swirls of leaves from the back tire. As always it was a pleasure to catch up with everyone at Hanmer and get involved in the concourse judging. Also thank you for placing your confidence in me and voting me back in as treasurer. The weather was a bit damp on the Sunday following NDR so Phil and I decided to hang about and enjoy the hot pools. I also had to fit some new rubber to the S2R as Chris Marer kindly pointed out “Your front tyre is $#&^#*”, I also noted the rear was looking a bit squared off. It is amazing how much extra grip and wear there is on the South Island roads. Popped into Christchurch on the Monday and fitted up a new set of Bridgestones. Tuesday saw us head off over the Lewis Pass to Springs Junction and over the Rahu saddle to Reefton where we parked up. On Wednesday, having dropped our kit, we popped down to the Bayhouse Café in Tauranga Bay south of Westport. This is always a must stop place anytime you are on the coast and that day was no exception, fine weather, a big southerly swell, the gannets wheeling over the surf. After lunch we fuelled up in Westport and headed up towards the Buller Gorge, only Phil found out his brand new Escort radar detector was not loud enough for him to hear the bleeps in his earpiece. Meanwhile I am listening in to the increasing signal, on the old detector Phil has lent to me, thinking plod is around here somewhere. Coming over a rise to find a patrol car doing a U turn in front of you is not a pleasant experience. The upshot is Phil suggested I should have realised there was something amiss and should have caught up to him and warned him. Not an easy thing to do when following a 996 SPS rapidly disappearing over the horizon.
BY NIGEL TAYLOR
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We rolled on up the Buller before turning right to take in the Shenandoah and another encounter with the law, only this time I was in the lead and picked him up early enough not to cause any pain to anyone’s wallets. Back to Springe Junction and over the Rahu for the second time in two days. Does it get any better than this? The next day, being Thursday, I split from Phil and started to make my way back home and elected to go over the Rahu in the opposite direction to the two previous traverses, up the Shenandoah, the upper Buller then turning off right towards St Arnuad before hanging a left and heading up to Nelson over the Top House. About half way along this stretch I found myself bursting into spontaneous laughter, the weather was fine the roads magnificent, very little traffic and just generally a joy to be out. Stayed up with friends in Nelson and headed over to Picton for a for a 1400 Ferry crossing on the Friday, had my first and only brush with the law at Havelock, but they were only doing random vehicle and license checks so no bother there then. Arrived in Wellington about 1730 then over the hill to Featherston before parking up with more friends. I must say the Wellington side of the Rimutakas is in pretty good nick these days. And finally home on Saturday to end my NDR fix for another year. Headwork. The DB1 engine is directly sourced for the 1986 Ducati F1. The unit in my bike was
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TREASURE’S REPORT
in need of some attention. So I packed up the heads, pistons and barrels and took them around to Ken Eyles for inspection. We found one of the closing rockers has the hard surface worn through so a replacement item was found at Bevel Heaven in the states. Further investigation revealed worn valve guides so these have now been replaced and the heads are heading back towards reassembly. Shiny new things: As part of the every spiralling out of control search for weight loss the drive train for the DB1 has come under serious scrutiny. The DB1 was built in an era when there was limited choice on the chain and sprocket front which meant pretty much anything over 250cc was fitted with a 530 series drive train. In their day they were fit for purpose but since then a few boffins got together and did some serious number crunching with a view to using the latest in high tensile materials for chain construction. There was also some serious thought put into lubrication sealing from which came the “X� ring technology and many other variations on this theme. Around the same time high tech aluminium alloys in the 7000 series, usually associated with aircraft parts, were becoming available at realistic prices. The result of this technology advance
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was a new chain and sprocket formatted as the 520 series; the chain and sprocket have the same pitch but are significantly – read 1/16� or 1.6mm narrower than the 530 series. All up this new 520 combination saves 1.3kg over the old 530 lot for the DB1. Of course time move on and has horsepower in sports bikes heading towards 200bhp as standard fare a new intermediate size has been developed in the 525 series. We can also see the trickle-down effect of military grade materials making their way into manufacturing industries with materials such as titanium now being used for standard exhausts on an ever increasing basis. Many thanks to Steve at Bevel Heaven in California who has a vast array of parts and in depth knowledge to put the bits and pieces together that made this work first time. Next issue the engine may be coming back together. Current account: $13,288.08 Deposit Account $5,828.95 Bye for now Nigel
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NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY
For various reasons I hadn't been on decent ride since NDR2012 and with that and the smallest bit of Chris Marer's influence a plan was hatched that we both needed to head south a few days earlier than NDR and take in some of the roads and blow away some cobwebs.
I had bought my MHR Mille in Janaury last year but not had the chance to ride it more than a few test kilometres. Mark Sampson had taken it to NDR2013 and through a previous long period of no use, the starter failed and the shocks dropped their guts. I had had the starter rebuilt and just put a Conti 2 into 1 on it so really felt the need to take it to Hanmer. Liam Venter worked his magic on the shocks however this proved more time consuming than he hoped and I stole the shocks of my SS just in case. Liam was adamant that he'd have the shocks to me in time, and to his credit they arrived 2 hours before I was due to leave for the ferry - sorry Liam I resisted the last minute refit.
BY BRENT MELDRUM
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Chris from early on in his planning decided he'd take his F1 that he has owned since new (he's been promising a story....), built in 86 and was at the time the sporty new direction for Ducati. My MHR is also from 86 but was from the last batch of 250 MHRs and indeed the last bevels ever made, therefore the 2 bikes we were riding represented the end of and the start of important eras in Ducati production history. Comparing the bikes side by side, one has long (bus like) wheelbase and 18" hoops front and rear, shocks and forks that were fundamentally unchanged throughout the bevel period and
despite bevels being fairly lean, the final MHRs were porkers - at the brochure the weight is 198kg but it's nowhere near that. The F1 had a much shorter wheelbase, a 16" front hoop, steeper steering angle, state of the art forks, floating front discs and a much lower weight - it was also tiny where the MHR rider feels like an ant riding an elephant. It was going to be interesting to see how they compared on the road.
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NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY - CONT
We headed across on the 3pm Interislander sailing on Tuesday and arrived Picton late at 6:45, with dinner being served at Nick Marer's abode in Nelson sometime thereafter. The choice of road through to Nelson was easy, it had to be the tight windy Queen Charlotte Drive perfect for long wheelbase bevels! Chris lead the way and after a quick warm up period the pace was increased and we were both pleasantly surprised that the two bikes were still together, it was only the odd very tight or very bumpy curve where the MHR was saying NO! We arrived in Brightwater Nelson not that long after and so a fairly quick trip across. Dinner was a most satisfactory feed of fresh crayfish - thanks Nick! Speaking of Nick his entire ensemble seemed to be Ducati branded - so much so that it looked like a Ducati had thrown up on him :-) Wednesday our planned destination was Blackball, and as we weren't in any hurry we had a fairly slow morning hoping the drizzle would clear. It didn't so we set off anyway knowing it would clear somewhere, which it did on the Hope Saddle. Once we had dry roads (but more importantly for me with glasses on, visibility!) the fun levels increased and we got to enjoy the roads as they should be. It's always that tricky question, do you take time to enjoy the magical scenery or do you just carve up the corners? The later won other than the odd pause and stop for an obligatory photo. (Continued on page 16)
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NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY - CONT
(Continued from page 14)
Our first brief stop was at the Kawatiri Junction, where we noticed that the 28 year old plastic indicator stalk on my right hand rear indicator had decided enough was enough, so this was quickly removed and stashed into the tank bag. A superb ride further on state highway 6 saw a stop for lunch at Murchison, albeit a late one. As is the norm you get chatting to fellow bikers and we met a couple who were on their first trip on their Guzzi 850T after a long rebuild (some 20 years by the sounds). We were planning to head down the Buller Groge of course and also met fellow riders who said
BY BRENT MELDRUM
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there was a long stretch of gravel on the gorge road and it was terrible, we'll see then. The Buller Gorge was amazing as usual, fabulous corners and beautiful views. We were stopped at the roadworks for a few minutes but as we'd filtered to the front of the queue we had the road to ourseleves, the 'gravel' turning out to be fairly new seal but the only concern to us was the open carbs so the front of the queue was the place to be. Arriving near the west coast we headed out to Tauranga Bay for a late second lunch
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NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY - CONT
and enjoyment of a couple of straight pieces of road with great visibility, if you get my drift. Any dust from the roadworks was well and truly gone after that :-). We then headed off down the coast and when coming out of a corner south of Charleston I reached for another gear and found fresh air, I stopped and watched Chris sail off into the distance. I had only lost the toe piece of the gear changed lever and while it was tricky to get enough purchase to shift up, down changes were easy. I carried on and found Chris admiring the view 80kms or so later. A quick swap of the toe piece for the brake lever saw gear changes sweet again. Just before reaching Greymouth we headed inland on Taylorville road and arrived at the Blackball Hilton in time for refreshments. Blackball was a fascinated place with obvious mining history but also the birthplace of the Labour Party in 1908. The owners were great people and while only 2 others were staying at the hotel (a father and daughter on bikes), and a couple of locals drinking, we had a blast. Breakfast the next day was leisurely and we cruised off at about 9am. I was keen to check out the old mine at Brunner and also the Pike memorial so we took both of these things in on the way. The road through to Reefton was nothing special after the day earlier but still fabulous, stopping at Reefton for lunch. The road through
BY BRENT MELDRUM
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to Springs Junction was a blast, and probably quite a quick pace officer, Chris pulled over when we got to Springs, said 'remind me why we do this again?' with a grin, laughed and road on. The Lewis pass road was, well the Lewis pass road, we all know what it's like and it was the only time we came close to talking to the local constabulary - needless to say he got just as much of a shock as we did as we crested the brow of a hill at the same time. He didn't seem to mind, probably a fan :-). We arrived in Hanmer and the rest is history, another wonderful NDR and I can't wait for the next one! The trip back to Wellington for me was fairly mundane by comparison with the earlier riding, but Chris and I were joined by Mark Sampson on his Sport Classic. The wether the last 30km was horrific with Cyclone Lusi finally making it's presence felt. Sheltering in the (what can only be described as) bus stop shelter at the ferry terminal with horizontal rain lashing down we were the familiar orchestra of bevels, with John, Don, Mike, Jed, and Hamish turning up with Loan Burger on his Panigale R. A very nice collection of Ducati's on the ferry (the bevels: 750SS, 2 900SS, 2 GTs, MHR and then 750F1, Panigale R and Sport Classic) (Continued on page 25)
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MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 Race Calendar 23 Mar Qatar, Losail International Circuit (Evening race) 13 Apr Americas, Circuit of the Americas 27 Apr Argentina, Aut贸dromo Termas de Rio Hondo 04 May Spain, Circuito de Jerez 18 May France, Le Mans Circuit 1 Jun Italy, Mugello Circuit 15 Jun Catalunya, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 28 Jun Netherlands, TT Assen (Saturday race) 13 Jul Germany, Sachsenring 10 Aug Indianapolis GP, Indianapolis Motor Speedway 17 Aug Czech Republic, Automotodrom Brno 31 Aug Great Britain, Silverstone Circuit 14 Sep San Marino & Riviera di Rimini, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli 21 Sep Arag贸n, MotorLand Arag贸n 28 Sep Brazil, Brasilia - Subject to homologation 12 Oct Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit 19 Oct Japan, Twin Ring Motegi 26 Oct Australia, Phillip Island 09 Nov Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
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SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014
Race Calendar 23 Feb Australia, Phillip Island GP Circuit 13 Apr Spain, MotorLand Arag贸n 27 Apr The Netherlands, TT Assen 11 May Italy, Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola 25 May UK, Donington Park 08 Jun Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit (STC) 22 Jun Italy, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli 06 Jul Portugal, Aut贸dromo Internacional do Algarve 13 Jul USA, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (STC)* 07 Sep Spain, Circuito de Jerez 21 Sep Russia, Moscow Raceway 05 Oct France, Circuit de Magny-Cours 19 Oct South Africa, Phakisa Freeway (STC) 02 Nov Overseas TBC * WSBK class only. STC = Subject to contract. TBC = To be confirmed.
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BY BRENT MELDRUM
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(Continued from page 19)
The ferry crossing was fine despite Lusi, the strong northerlies just meaning the boat was on a permanent list to starboard the entire trip. A great chat amongst team bevel had John starting to organise a bevel weekend at his place, thanks John I'm a starter for sure! The exit from the boat proved interesting as it felt Lusi was focussing her wind on me directly. Sadly the week's fun was over at that point and even more sad and something I hate, I had to put the bike into my storage shed late at night, wet through and shut the door. I had an early start in the morning and there wasn't time or any light to fettle the bike. What a fabulous time away, too brief but a load of fun and a good reminder why we do what we do. Cobwebs well and truly blown away
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MICHELANGELO OF THE MOTORCYCLE
Massimo Tamburini, who has died aged 70, was one of the great names of automotive design, allying power and beauty in motorcycles in the way that his compatriot, Enzo Ferrari, did in cars; one critic even called him the “Michelangelo of the motorcycle�.
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Tamburini’s bikes are considered among the most graceful ever produced. But aesthetics did not come at the cost of speed. Tamburini, a dedicated biker himself, was always determined that his machines should be fast, in 1980 describing his perfect bike of the future as “a 750cc with the power of 1000cc and the weight of a 500cc”. He was perhaps best known for the Ducati 916, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever built. Released on general sale in 1994, it encased a 916cc engine in feminine curved bodywork and was capable of rocketing down the track (or autobahn) at 160mph, all the while handling better than Japanese competitors. Glorying in the same shade of red that made Ferraris famous, it moved some observers to see in it that most quixotic of qualities: “soul”. Hugely successful on the track, it also proved a hit with consumers on the road, who loved it for its cat’s-eye headlights and under-seat exhaust, features which influenced a generation of so-called “sports bikes”. One eyecatching feature was its single-sided rear fork, or “swingarm”, which dramatically exposed the whole of the rear tyre.
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MICHELANGELO OF THE MOTORCYCLE - CONT
Having designed one standout motorcycle, Tamburini immediately repeated the feat for the venerable MV Agusta marque, which had fallen on hard times but was being relaunched by Claudio Castiglioni. It was Castiglioni who had brought Tamburini to Ducati. Such was his estimation of Tamburini’s talents that, though MV Agusta was based at Varese, he allowed his designer to base himself at a research centre in San Marino, near his home. There Tamburini developed the MV Augusta 750 F4, which was released in 1998 in red-and-silver livery with four exhausts emerging under the seat in an “organ-pipe” array. Critics quickly hailed it one of the world’s most beautiful bikes, and MV’s waning reputation was firmly re-established. Massimo Tamburini was born in Rimini on November 28 1943. He was obsessed with motorcycles from an early age, driving his mother to distraction with his single-mindedness. He would later recall listening out as a child for the distinctive engine sound of the few motorcycles then on the road: “When I heard them coming I would get so excited and rush out to watch them ride past. My passion for bikes started then, they are my first memories.” Massimo’s initial ambition was to study Engineering in Bologna, but his parents were unable to afford to send him away and he graduated instead from the local technical college. In 1966 he and two friends, Valerio Bianchi and Giuseppe Morri, set up an air conditioning company which, drawing on their surnames, they called Bimota. But Tamburini’s principal passion remained motorcycles, and he spent every spare hour travelling to races, and tinkering on his own twin-cylinder Moto Guzzi 700. “It took over my life,” he said. In the early 1970s Tamburini acquired a Honda CB750, and promptly fell off, breaking three ribs. His enforced absence from work led Bianchi to leave Bimota. Together, he and Morri decided to relaunch the company in motorcycle design. From 1972 the renamed Bimota Meccanica redesigned Japanese motorcycles which “had a good motor but very bad chassis” around a tubular steel frame, originally sold as a kit. The first redesign was dubbed the Honda-Bimota (HB1), and proved both lightweight and rigid, its lower centre of gravity contributing to the ease of movement.
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From kits for Japanese motors such as Suzuki and Yamaha, Tamburini produced arguably the fastest, most advanced – and expensive – bikes of the 1970s. These included the Bimota SB2 (from 1977, built around a Suzuki engine), and the KB1 (from 1978, around a Kawasaki engine). He also designed chassis for race bikes. In 1975 Johnny Cecotto won the 350cc World Championship on a Bimota framed Yamaha, while Harley Davidson’s Walter Villa used a Bimota chassis for part of his 1976 season, during which he took two world titles. In 1980 Jon Ekerold, riding a Bimota-Yamaha bike, was crowned 350cc world champion. Despite this success, Tamburini walked away from Bimota just two years later, after disagreeing with Morri about how best to take on Japanese competition. He worked on his own in Rimini before, in 1985, being introduced to Castiglioni, who was on the point of acquiring Ducati. It was Castiglioni who paired Tamburini with the engineer Massimo Bordi. Not that Tamburini was ignorant of engineering processes. “When the designer doesn’t have a good understanding of the mechanical side of things,” he said, “he can never design a good product.” With the Paso 750, then the 851 and the 888, the pair turned Ducati’s fortunes around. Then in 1993 they unveiled the 916. Not only was it a smash hit with the Press, it also proved hugely successful in the World Superbike Championship, notably under Carl Fogarty. But it was the MV Agusta 750 F4 that was Tamburini’s favourite. “With the Ducati we already had a good base to work on,” he said in 2012. “With the MV it was a blank piece of paper and we had to create everything, even the smallest of details such as the footpegs.” Such was his passion for the project that, when he fell ill while designing the bike, he filled notebooks with diagrams and pictures. “I was so scared I would die without designing the bike.” Tamburini continued to work at MV Agusta until the end of 2008, when he eventually handed over to the British designer, Adrian Morton. Massimo Tamburini, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last November, married, in 1961, Pasquina, with whom he had three children. Massimo Tamburini, born November 28 1943, died April 6 2014
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DOCNZ CLUB NIGHTS
Auckland Birdcage Bar & Grill , 133 Franklin Road , Victoria Park , Freemans Bay 1st Wednesday of each month from 7.30pm
Hamilton Hamilton Motorcycle Centre, Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm
Wellington The Featherston Bar and Grill, Corner Featherston & Johnston Streets, Wellington 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6.00pm (although Lynda is usually there from about 5.15pm)
Nelson Speight's Ale House , 99 Quarantine Road, Stoke, Nelson 1st Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm
Christchurch Dux de Lux on Montreal Street. Start time 7.30pm—1st Tuesday of each month from 7.00pm Our Advertisers and Sponsors Support Us Support them and Support your Club Whenever you see the services of one of our advertisers (and isn't that all the time?) let them know that you saw the ad in DESMOPHILES. That way they will know that their advertising dollar is being spent wisely. It will help your club, the service provider and above all it will help you (there may be a club member discount available). DISCLAIMER Unless expressly stated, the opinions and comments in this newsletter are those of the contributors only, and are not club policy. Nor does the club guarantee any advertisers products or servicing suggestions made. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the editor or DOCNZ.
NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY PHOTO - CONT
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DUCATI OWNERS CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND Annual General Meeting 15th March 2014
Present: Don Thomson, Harry and Dianna Mallalieu, Mike Lind, Char MacPherson, Stu Jordan, Tom Brown, Cathy Hooper, Merv Hooper, Julie De Milliac, Mike Turnbull, Neil Baker, Nick Marer, Guy Brickman, Phil Herdman, Nita Maaka, Wayne Lyons, Chris Marer, John Clayton, Neil James, Nigel Taylor, Nick Gregory, John Hendriks, Glenn Corson, Greg Monahan, Brent Meldrum Apologies: Wayne Cockburn, Perry Dunfoy Greg Monahan opened the meeting 4:45pm The 2013 minutes were reviewed:
Turimso & NDR. NDR to be yearly alternating between North and South Islands. Turismo to be every two years. Subs reviewed, renewals along with entry fees to NDR for non-members giving one years membership.
2013 minutes were agreed and passed by all. Presidents report (Greg)
Another exciting year for the club Developments within Italian connections and through Facebook etc., worldwide we get more opportunities to find out what’s going around with other Clubs. Receiving the big long strip banner is a benefit of this, we have previously struggled to get such things. WDW, World Presidents meeting discussed. We had 2 requests from members to go and represent the Club at Worlds President meeting. This year Perry Dunfoy is representing the Club, travelling with Neil Fremaux. Roll of president this year has mainly been organising NDR with Brent Would be of great benefit to organisers of NDR if more members would register early as we only had 30 registrations in February.
Greg mentioned he is happy to stay on as President
Secretary report: Molly (Brent Meldrum)
We currently have membership of 144 financial members, which includes 14 Complimentary, 6 shops, 22 Family & 3 Life. We currently have 80 that are not
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 15 MARCH 2014
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paid up. We’re in that time of the year and currently following up with the 80 members As at 31st January we had 191 members which was a healthy increase over the 164 the year before Aim again this year is to crack the 200 member mark A busy time of the year with NDR and also renewals of subscriptions
Molly mentioned he was happy to stay on as Secretary
Treasurer (Nigel Taylor) Nigel went through the 2013 financials, and copy is enclosed with these minutes/ magazine Points to note:
Club is in a healthy financial state Over the last financial year we have made loss of $1247, which in itself does not respresent the true position as with NDR and Turismo we effectively go through a two yearly cycle – deposits paid for NDR etc. Previous year was profit of $3200 Reports presented, Chris Marer Accepted, seconded by Don Thomson
Nigel stated he is more than happy to remain as Treasurer
Editor (Richard Sabiston, given by Brent Meldrum in Richards absence)
We published 6 issues of magazine this year Compared with other magazines the Clubs receives, our magazine is looking great Struggling to get members stories, and general news and articles for each issue. A plea to members to please spend the time and send in a story – not necessarily Ducati but maybe an article on riding gear, interesting ride, nice café or coffee shop Investigating the purchase of new image software to speed up the process between his production and the printers
Richard is happy to stay on as Editor
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DUCATI OWNERS CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
Webmaster (Nigel Haworth)
No report presented Website current with up to date photo gallery (Greg Monahan) Matt Thompson is the go to guy regards to updates and sending out magazine links (Greg Monahan) Link to Forum is not current thinking and out of date with today’s available mediums
Elections President Chris Marer nominated Greg Monahan, seconded Wayne Lyons. No other nominations and all accepted Secretary Greg Monahan nominated Molly (Brent Meldrum), seconded Don Thomson No other nominations and all accepted Treasurer Don Thomson nominated Nigel Taylor, seconded Wayne Lyons No other nominations and all accepted Editor Wayne Lyons nominated Richard Sabiston, seconded Nick Gregory No other nominations and all accepted Webmaster Nick Marer nominated Nigel Haworth, seconded Neil Baker No other nominations and all accepted General Business Greg raised NDR and Turismo. NDR was voted last time as being yearly alternating North and South Islands. Works well. A lot of work to change the locations and Wairakei worked well last time although numbers were lower than what we would expect. Nelson is also a consideration Advertising for events discussed. Consideration to be given to doing a reciprocal arrangement with for example a bike magazine, where DOCNZ allow say Kiwirider to advertise for the year in exchange for a full size advertisement for NDR in issue leading up to Christmas.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 15 MARCH 2014 
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Advertising in race day programme, for example BEARS. Burt Munro event
Turismo is being planned currently. Chris Marer and Guy Brickman have suggested doing a split Turismo across both North and South Islands starting after NDR (start dependant on NDR location). All agreed great idea. Chris will organise North Island portion and Guy Brickman the South Nita raised that for $39 to reach 6000 people, and Nita is happy to offer her services to assist Jed Rice mentioned that the Club needs to invest in the website, it is not very modern or up to date. The website is a fundamental tool for the Club and needs to reflect the Club and be inspiring Facebook page has taken off. Stu Jordan raised the fact that we used to be able to upload photos ourselves to the website, but now cannot. Was easy to upload photos straight after a memorable ride for example. Warren Lee re-iterated that we all have the same challenge attracting young people to clubs. Social media is the world the younger people exist in. Younger folks are after different types of events, and more into short social events but not rallys. Facebook, Twitter and Inst-gram are the mediums of choice. There are over 500 new young Ducati riders a year in Australia but nobody under the age of 40 turns up to Turismo for example. Nigel discussed Public Liability Insurance through case law we have to decide how much of the cover we have must be set aside for lawyers. Currently we have set aside $10000. Warren added that in Australia if you are holding an event on a public road, that as long as you’re not altering the conditions or the course of the road, then the club would become liable. More investigation underway. Nick Marer thanked for organising the Track Day prior to NDR. Thanks Nick. The meeting was closed at 6:17pm.
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CLUB REGALIA CLUB REGALIA PRICE LIST Shirts $25 Caps $15 Beanies $15
Anyone interested please contact secretary@docnz.co.nz
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DUCATI GOLD INSURANCE A specialised tailor-made insurance package for Ducati Owners featuring:
Highly competitive rates Sensible excess Flexible payment options Bonus – interest free monthly payment scheme Reduced premiums 0800 helpline service for policy holders Accessories and riding gear cover included in each policy
Phone, fax or e-mail for a no obligation quote
CASBOLTS MOTORCYCLES 39 MANCHESTER ST CHRISTCHURCH Ph 03-366-4401, Ph & fax 03-366-4402 E-mail sales@casbolts.co.nz
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2014 Membership fees are now overdue! A quick note to those that haven’t paid your memberships, please do! I have sent all those that haven’t paid an email so if you’re not sure whether you’ve paid or not, check your spam folder and/or send me an email to secretary@docnz.co.nz I will be sending texts to all before dropping you off the membership but if you haven’t paid your membership before the next magazine is due, this will be the last magazine you receive. Ciao Molly (Brent)
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2014 Membership First Name(s): ___________________________ Surname: _____________________________ Postal Address: ________________________________________________ Postcode: ________ Date of Birth:
____ / ____ / _______
Shirt Size:
S M L XL XXL XXXL
Email address: ________________________________________________________________ Phone (Home): _______________________
(Mobile): ___________________________
Additional Family Member: First Name(s):____________________________ Surname: _____________________________ Date of Birth: ____ / ____ / _______ Shirt Size:
S M L XL XXL XXXL
□ I/we would love to be registered with the Desmo Owners Club and receive emails & benefits from DUCATI Membership fees (please tick as appropriate)
□ Single / Associate □ Family □ Single / Associate □ Family
$70.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - hard copy) $85.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - hard copy) $40.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - electronic copy) $55.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - electronic copy)
You may include a cheque with the membership form, or you may pay by bank transfer: If you wish to pay this way, the details are: DOCNZ National Bank-Palmerston North 06-0746-0276337-000 (NB: Membership form still required please). Please note that memberships expire on the 31st of January. Applications and renewals received between November and January are registered as a membership for the following year Particulars of motorcycle/s: Make & Model ____________________________________________
Registration ___________
Year ____________
____________________________________________
___________
____________
____________________________________________
___________
____________
I hereby apply to the Ducati Owners Club New Zealand for membership. In the event of my admission as a member, I agree to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of DOCNZ. Signature: ................................................................ Date: ............................................. Either post to: Ducati Owners Club New Zealand, PO Box 6537, Marion Street, Wellington 6141, New Zealand Or scan and email to: secretary@docnz.co.nz
DESMOPHILES ADVERTISING RATES
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IF YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF DUCATI MOTORCYCLES YOU MAY WISH TO REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE THROUGH THIS SPECIAL INTEREST CLUB MAGAZINE Payment is due at the time of placement of advert.
SIZE
1 ISSUE
3 ISSUES
6 ISSUES
1/8 page
$15.00
$30.00
50.00
1/4 page
$20.00
$35.00
$60.00
Free classified advertising for club members is available on the DOCNZ website. Registered users can surf to www.docnz.co.nz, click the Forums link, and use the Buy/Sell/Swap forum.
1/2 page
$35.00
$70.00
$110.00
If you have any queries or need help please email webmaster@docnz.co.nz.
Full page
$65.00
$110.00
$200.00
Club Classifieds
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS Magazine Contributions should be sent to: The Editor P.O.Box 6537 Marion Square Wellington 6141 NEW ZEALAND Email: editor@docnz.co.nz Deadlines are the 1st February, April, June, August, October and December for issues due out towards the end of the month. Display advertising is available for business – please contact the secretary. Rates above.
PICTURE CREDITS Cover photo: Brent Meldrum’s motorcycle companion. Treasurer’s report photographs: Nigel Taylor. National Ducati Rally Article: Brent Meldrum’s motorcycle companion. Michelangelo of the Motorcycle: Superbike.co.uk, Simonevans.co.uk and Ian Faloon. National Ducati Rally Photographs: Various club members.
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